Run
by FishyPrincess
Summary: Frightened and without Joey, Serenity finds herself alone. Strangely and without reason, Ryou falls into a deep depression, finding comfort in the middle of nowhere. They have nowhere else to run... [RyouSerenity] Complete!
1. The Funeral

**_A/N: This is the first complete _Yu-Gi-Oh!_ fanfiction I have ever written, much less the first one I have ever posted. I used to write Invader ZIM fanfiction—hence the pen name. I have grown fond of a new show now, this obviously being _Yu-Gi-Oh! **

**_While reading, I suggest thinking about what could be improved. I would hate to be the one to destroy the characters of YGO. Please be kind in saying what you think; constructive criticism and flames are two different things. _**

**_Disclaimer: All of _Yu-Gi-Oh!_ is property of Kazuki Takahashi. I do not own these characters, nor the show._**

**_Now, on with the fic!_**

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_"You cannot kill me! For I am the shadows and the shadows never die!"_

After all that he'd been through, Ryou Bakura couldn't help but believe that his yami might have been right.

He sat on a large stump that seemed to be the center of many trees. His elbow was leaning on one of his legs—chin resting on his pale hand. Green, yellow, brown, and red colored the autumn leaves that practically defined this area, consumed in all kinds of foliage.

It was this exact place, this exact position that he would reside in every late afternoon. This seemed to be the only place he could ever get his thoughts sorted out.

It had started a few weeks ago, the need to be at this place. After many unfortunate circumstances, he felt it was a necessity to find some kind of place where he could be alone and forget about the world around him.

This became that place.

It became so crucial that he was to be at this place each evening, that if he did not, he found himself unable to fall asleep at night.

No one knew why, and no one even knew that this place existed but him. This was his security, his only escape from the terrors of the world.

He sighed as the wind softly caressed his face. His brown eyes stared into absolutely nothing, letting his mind wander away, far away…

To some this particular act may seem "unmanly," but frankly, he didn't care. He was concerned only for his sanity—past events had stirred up questions about the state of his own mind.

He found himself here again on a late October afternoon.

- - -

"So young…"

Serenity Wheeler raised her head at the sound of a lady's voice. She watched the woman stare down inside the coffin and shake her head. The woman looked at Serenity and offered a compassionate smile.

Tears filled the young girl's eyes as she resumed staring mindlessly at the floor. She didn't know half of these people anyway; why were they here? Of course, she could understand the presence of Tea, Yugi, Mai, Tristan, and Duke. They were all Joey's friends, as well as hers.

She had an extremely difficult time looking inside the coffin. She had already tried once, and became so overwhelmed with fear and sadness that she fell to her knees, crying hysterically. Tristan and Duke had helped her up and led her to a nearby chair.

Why did Joey have to pass away because of her? Her face grew wet with tears as she cried into her hands. She began to shake until she felt two pairs of arms encircle her. She opened her eyes to see Tea and Mai, both of their eyes red from crying.

"Aw, honey, don't cry…" Mai whispered, as Serenity buried her face into her chest. Mai's face was smeared with mascara, running down with her tears.

"It's… it's all my fault…" Serenity sobbed, holding onto Mai tightly.

"No, Serenity," Tea spoke, her voice shaky. "Don't say that! You know it wasn't your fault."

Serenity lifted up her head to face the brunette. Tea didn't know how wrong she was, and Serenity pitied her for that.

She would not tell them what really happened that day. She _couldn't. _What would they think of her if they knew? Would they all ditch her? She knew she would not be able to afford being alone. Not now.

Yugi, Tristan, and Duke approached her to offer words of encouragement. She smiled reassuringly at them, though what they said did not make her feel any better.

Everything was so dark here; never had death seemed so terrifying. Everyone present, including her, wore at least something black. Was that what death would be like? Eternal blackness? She hoped that her thoughts were just folly, and that he was in a better place, somewhere where he would be completely happy. The thought improved her spirits somewhat, but she still felt terrible.

"You can stay with one of us if you'd like," Mai offered as Serenity looked up. "I don't mind, and I'm sure nobody else does either." A murmur of agreement erupted from the group, and Serenity nodded. She still felt it would be intruding if she were to live even temporarily at one of their homes. She didn't want to be a burden.

Before they could say anymore, someone grabbed a microphone and officially started the funeral. Prayers were said, poems were recited, and tears were shed. Mai and Tea were next to Serenity, both of them comforting her whenever she began crying again.

After what seemed like hours, the funeral was almost over. The chance came again to see her lifeless brother before the casket closed for eternity, never to be opened again. Serenity didn't even do so much as raise her head until Tristan spoke.

"You know, it might be a good idea for you to see him one last time. I know it sounds painfully hard, but you may regret it later in life," he told her as calmly as he could. She nodded, and headed toward the casket with her friends following her.

There he was.

Her brother, her role-model…

Her everything was in that casket.

Dead.

_He looks so…empty, _Serenity thought, looking at his white, inert face. "Joey…" she whispered. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry I let you down." Duke put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She began to cry once again, pressing her tear-stained face into her cupped hands.

"Darn you, Wheeler…" Serenity heard Mai murmur. The blonde stared down at Joey sorrowfully. "Why'd you have to go?" Serenity glanced at Mai, sympathizing. Joey had loved her so much. He never had the guts to tell her, either. Now, now it was too late…

Yugi came up slowly and placed an object inside next to Joey. Once Serenity got a better look, she saw that it was his Duel Monsters deck. He used to love playing Duel Monsters; he was good at it too.

Memories flooded Serenity's mind. Ah, Battle City. It didn't seem like four years had passed already.

She remembered when Joey had to duel a man called Marik, who actually turned out to be a servant of the real Marik named Odion. She recalled the fear that took over while watching him duel; something was different about the dueling there. Instead of the monsters being harmless holograms, they were real, and capable of hurting him badly. They ended up doing so later on.

There was a point where she felt that she could no longer bear the sight of her brother in so much danger. She almost left, when he spoke to her.

"I need you, Serenity."

_I need you too, big brother_, she told him inside her head. _How can I be strong like you? You were always strong for me… _

After the funeral, many people came up to Serenity and apologized, commenting on her brother's death. She secretly wished they would all leave her alone, but she was too kind to say anything.

"He was a good boy." Like they knew him.

"Ah, such a young age…" Like they understood.

"I'm sorry." Like they cared.

It was getting dark outside. Why did she plan a funeral at night?

"You sure you don't want to stay with one of us?" Tea confirmed, giving her a hug.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Serenity assured her friend, lying through her teeth. She could not imagine the trouble that awaited for her when she tried to sleep.

"Alright, hon, we'll see you later, then, okay?" Mai offered a smile through the blatant despair on her face.

"Call us if you need us," Yugi told her. "You know all of our numbers."

Serenity nodded, and headed home. She didn't have a car, but the apartment she had shared with Joey wasn't too far away. Walking to her apartment, she felt alone. This is what it would be like at home. This is what it would be like _forever_.

Once she opened the door, she walked into her room to change into more comfortable clothing. Sweat pants and a t-shirt felt nice. After doing so, she went inside Joey's room.

She allowed herself to smile at his lack of organization. Clothing, shoes, and comic books covered almost everything. His bed was unmade, the sheets untucked. She vowed to never change or clean his room, not ever. This was the only piece of him she had left, and she was not going to mess with it.

She walked in, trying not to step on his possessions that practically served as his floor. She spotted a card on his dresser. Could it be?

Yes, it was certainly a Duel Monsters card. She picked it up, and held it in her hand. It was the Red Eyes Black Dragon. This was one of his favorite cards. But why did he have it out and not with the rest of his deck?

She put the card in her pocket, and told herself to keep this card with her at all times. This would be the part of Joey that she would carry around with her at all times. Maybe it could help her out a bit.

Sighing, Serenity walked out of his room, and back into hers. It was so quiet without him here. She turned off the lights, and climbed into her bed. She attempted to fall asleep.

She failed.

Ever since he passed away, she had the hardest time falling asleep. There were nights where she had not slept at all. Joey kept on filling her thoughts, and when she did fall asleep, she dreamt about terrible, horrible things happening to him. She would awake from these dreams with sweat pouring down her face and tears waiting to emerge from her hazel eyes.

She closed her eyes once again. She waited.

No luck.

She pulled the sheets off of her body and stood on the floor. She placed a hand on her forehead and sighed. The reality of her situation slowly made itself clear in her mind. Now it became so terribly overwhelming that she could barely hold herself up.

The walls around her started to seem closer then ever. They were moving slowly—ready to crush her at any moment. She was alone and helpless; Joey was nowhere in sight to help her. He would never be again.

Her breathing pace increased rapidly. Everything started spinning. Panic filled her trembling body. She had to get out of here. She just had to.

She rose to her feet and ran out the door as fast as her legs would carry her. Into the darkness…

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**_A/N: Read and review if you wish. Tell me what you think. _**


	2. Lost

A/N: Different author's note font, I know. Thanks so much to all who reviewed! You are all helping me improve, and I appreciate that.

Court12: Sorry, but Serenity's reasons will be revealed later. Keep reading, and it will be found out soon enough!

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Darkness began to fall unknowingly to Ryou. Time was always at the back of his mind; he had been to this place so many times before that he had memorized the path back home.

After a few hours, Ryou finally noticed how black the sky had become. The moon was full this night. The white light that shone onto the earth was just enough for him to barely see the trees around him.

He rose to his feet and swiped off any kind of dirt that made its way onto his clothes. With a deep breath, he started walking on the ever so familiar trail. He was not afraid of walking home at night without something to illuminate his surroundings.

He began sauntering down into the trees, recognizing each and every tree he passed, every blade of grass as well. After about what seemed like ten minutes, he heard a small, distant noise.

_Thump Thump Thump_

The sound of little feet echoed throughout the area. Ryou halted and listened carefully. Was it a squirrel? No, squirrels couldn't possibly make that much noise. A rabbit?

Ryou shook his head and continued the long walk home. His feet carried him further, each step bringing the sound closer. The noise became louder and louder with each second. He began to hear small breathing. Panicked breathing. This was certainly not a tree-dwelling rodent. It was a person, a girl, to be precise.

He stopped once again. Who was this female, and why were they frantically running out in the middle of nowhere at a time like this? Was this person drunk? Mentally insane? Or perhaps just in distress?

The moon was full tonight, shining exactly enough light to see the outline of the figure running towards him. Whoever this girl was, she was obviously crying.

"I…I'm…sorry…I…don't…want…live…please…forgive…me…"

Her words were barely comprehendible, but Ryou figured out the main point of why she was so upset. He watched her come closer to him. She was quite a fast runner.

Before he knew it, her body had slammed against his, almost knocking him over. The girl let out a small scream of surprise, and took a few steps backward. He could hear her heavy breathing, the speed increasing as she became more terrified.

"Who…who are you?"

Ryou heard this voice before… Soft, shy…

"Serenity?"

Her eyes lit up with surprise. Realization had struck her as well.

"Bakura?"

He nodded. "Heh, yes. What brings you here?"

Serenity looked down. She grew quiet, and Ryou mentally slapped himself. Joey's funeral was today, wasn't it? _Bollocks! _

After a long moment of pure silence, Serenity's eyes met his eyes once again. "Why are _you_ here?"

Ryou felt a pang of guilt at how he made this grief-stricken girl relive the recent death of her older brother. Her brother was a friend of his—not terribly close, yet he still was enough of one to be considered worth something to him.

"Just taking a walk," he told her. Serenity wiped her face with her hand. She sniffed, and though her tone made an effort at being happy, she still sounded as if she had been crying. There was no doubt she had been.

He lowered his voice. "I…I heard about your brother," he said compassionately. Serenity looked down. "I'm…very sorry." Ryou could see how hard it was for her to keep from crying.

"His funeral was today," she spoke softly. Her head rose. "How come you weren't there?"

"I didn't get an invitation; I couldn't have known it was today," Ryou informed her. One little lie...

Her hazel eyes widened in shock. "I'm so sorry!" she apologized. "We all made sure we invited you! Maybe the envelope it came in got lost or something… I feel so bad…"

His face softened. "Don't feel bad… I can't imagine how rough it is for you already." Serenity's lip began to curl as a tear rolled down her cheek. She was quiet, until she started sobbing again.

"I'm sorry…" she bawled, wiping her tears with her hand. "Y-you…probably think I'm s-stupid…"

"Oh, no!" Ryou promised. "Never! I understand, really. Besides, if I were you, I'd be doing the same thing."

"Really?" Serenity sniffed.

"Close," he smiled, and she let out a small laugh. "Where are you staying? I mean, without your brother…"

"I know what you mean. I have been staying with Mai since he died," She paused, clearly struggling. "But for the past couple of days I tried going back to his apartment. I have an even harder time there than at Mai's, where I couldn't sleep at all. At least there, she stayed up with me. I just…I can't go back home… and I don't want to be a burden to Mai, after all she's done for me. I don't know what to do." More tears flooded her terrified face.

Ryou looked at her with sympathy. He knew what it was like to lose someone important to you; he hadn't seen his dad in years while his mother and sister had long since passed away.

"Would you like to stay with me?" He asked her as she lifted her head, bewildered. "My apartment isn't too far away from here."

Serenity shook her head. "I…I couldn't—"

Ryou interrupted her. "Yes, you can. Think about it: you're out in the middle of nowhere in the dark, with no knowledge of how to get back home, and no place to stay." He looked at her sternly. "I insist."

Serenity stared at him blankly. After what seemed like minutes, she finally broke the silence. "Thank you…"

He grinned. "Anytime. Now, follow me." Serenity did as told, and he led her through what seemed like an endless area of trees. Ryou made sure she was close behind each step of the way.

After what seemed like hours, the two finally reached civilization. "We're almost there," he told her, leading her to a very large apartment complex. They climbed up the stairs until they reached room 601. Ryou pulled out a key and opened the door, and allowed Serenity to enter first.

He turned on the light switch, illuminating the main room where a TV, couch, and two chairs stood, neatly arranged. Ryou noticed Serenity gaze at practically everything in sight.

"It's so…clean," she commented admiringly.

"I'm a neat freak," he admitted, heading into the halls. Serenity followed him until they reached a small room with a bed and nightstand. "This is where you can sleep for tonight. If you need anything, I'll be up for a little while in my room, which is the only one across from this one." After making sure she was alright, Ryou let her have her privacy.

-

Serenity sat on the bed, clutching her knees to her chest. She was tired, yes, but inside she knew she would not be able to fall asleep once again. This insomnia was catching up to her during the day, causing the simplest things to feel extremely overwhelming.

She was thankful for Bakura's kindness. She could not imagine what would have happened if he were not to have been there. She wanted to escape, to be alone, to not be a burden to those around her. She was Joey Wheeler's only sister, making her a living reminder of his life and death as well. She would forever cause everyone around her that knew him pain. Tears filled her eyes again. The crying she had done seemed endless—just the thought of her brother set them off.

Serenity was amazed at exactly how far she had run. She had never done this before in P.E. If only her teacher had been able to see her. Her legs ached the entire way, but she kept going. It was the poignant feeling in her heart that motivated her to keep going. She ran away from civilization, away from everything. Now, she was once again reunited with the world around her, in a guest room of one of her brothers' friends.

She tried to redirect her mind by looking at the four walls near to her. Frames with photos and pictures hung on the white walls, each with one of three people. One had a girl about the age of thirteen, another carried the image of a woman in her late twenties or early thirties, and the last person included was a man with blue hair, who looked like he was in his fifties. She inspected each one of them carefully, until she spotted another picture. This one, unlike the others, was not a photograph, but drawn by what seemed like a small child.

What seemed like a girl and a boy were drawn on the white piece of paper. Words that read "To Ryou" and "Love, Amane" were written messily above and below the two characters.

Serenity couldn't help but wonder who this Amane girl was. Could she be a relative of his? Perhaps the younger girl in the picture? All of the people in the pictures could pass as family members of Bakura.

She sighed softly, and laid her head on the pillow. She grasped the end of the pillow with her hand for comfort and began weeping into it once again.


	3. Dreams

A/N: Hey guys! Thank you so much for all of the reviews! I was extremely happy with chapter two's feedback, considering a couple of people actually made suggestions. I am extremely happy with over twenty reviews, considering I only received an average of four per chapter when I wrote in the Invader ZIM section.

Mahado's Girl: I wanted to thank you especially, being the first review containing constructive criticism that I have EVER received here on You must understand how much this means to me. I have been writing stories here for over a year now, and have felt that something crucial was missing from each of my stories. Something was needed to make it complete. I believe that you found that out for me, and I will try hard to take your advice. I don't expect to acquire more fluent description immediately, but I promise you that I will at least try my best.

Imperfect Paradise: This story takes place four years after Battle City, making Ryou around twenty and Serenity somewhere near seventeen. Sorry for the confusion!

Distant Voice: Yeah, I debated with my beta-reader on the bluntness of his request. I had asked her how I should write that particular scene, and she assured me that it would be best if I did it that way. I had my doubts, but I trusted her anyway. I just took it as him trying to be nice. I don't know. : )

Shinestar: I don't mean to boast, but, yes, I do believe I can. I also apologize if I have offended you. I admit my review was very vague.

Elenion Anaar: Thank you for such an in-depth review! I can't wait for the update of your RyouSerenity!

NoroLimAsfaloth: You are strange, Rafael. -attacks you- RAAAAH! (Note: She's a good friend of mine in real life; I'm not being weird to a stranger)

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"Hey, Serenity." 

Serenity looked up at the sound of her name. Her eyes blinked in confusion; this voice was too familiar. She found herself sprawled out in a field of some sort, the blue sky above her head. She stood cautiously—unaware of her surroundings. Confusion and fear filled her trembling body as she folded her hands against her chest.

She turned to see the owner of this voice. Could it be—? "Joey?" Her voice filled with a long lost hope that had buried itself deep within the corners of her heart. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me," He told her while his messy blonde hair blew in the wind. His dark brown eyes shone with a liveliness that she had missed ever since his passing. "Look, Serenity, I just wanted to tell you that it's all going to be o—"

A deafening _bang _rang out, interrupting the precious words. Serenity screamed as a bullet pierced her only sibling through the heart. Blood made its way onto his shirt, and he became silent, eyes wide open with shock.

Serenity ran, calling out his name. "JOEY!" she yelled frantically. "Joey! NO!" Her voice grew louder as she ran to him, but as much as she tried, she could not reach him.

Joey, in turn, opened his blood-filled mouth and made an effort to say Serenity's name. "…help…seren…ty…I…need…help…me…"

Hot tears poured down her face, as she continued to run without progress. "JOEY!" Her knees locked and she unwillingly fell. "I CAN'T HELP YOU! PLEASE HOLD ON! I CAN'T MOVE!" She shrieked desperately, making an effort to move ANY part of her body. She was paralyzed—apparently none of her limbs could do so much as twitch.

Serenity wailed in agony. "No!"

"It's too late…" his voice fell into a whisper, mouth gurgling with blood. His eyes rolled in the back of his head as his chest froze in place, never to rise and fall again.

Serenity continued to beg. "NO! JOEY! Come back! I need you! Come back!" Her voice turned into a shrill cry; she was helpless, and there was no one there to save him…

Serenity awoke, sweat and tears drenching her face. "Joey…" she whispered hoarsely. It had been a dream…only a dream, nothing more. She took a deep breath, and yanked the sheets of the bed off of her. She wasn't home, was she? No, she was on the other side of town, in the apartment of someone she barely knew.

Where was Joey when she needed him? She wished he would be right next to her, assuring that everything would be okay. And yet, it was not okay. It would never be okay again.

Serenity wiped the sweat off of her face, and warily looked at the clock. 1:39 AM. _Great._

She walked to the door; she needed to splash some water on her face. She opened it quietly, careful not to wake Bakura. Where was the bathroom in this place, anyway? As she walked out the door, she noticed the light was on in the main room. Curious, she quietly snuck a glance inside.

Bakura was at a table, his back facing Serenity. A pencil lay in his hand, moving every once in awhile when he tried to think. He was writing something, and Serenity couldn't help but wonder why he was doing this so late at night. Wasn't there time for this during the day?

She decided to watch him for a little longer. After all, it couldn't hurt, could it? She saw him ruffle his long white hair tiredly, pencil still in hand, ready to write. Once something came into his mind, he would begin writing again. He continued to repeat this odd routine, each time more sluggish than the previous attempt. He stopped once to place both hands on his face, yawning.

Serenity chose this moment to turn around and continue looking for the bathroom, but as soon as she lifted up her foot, the other rolled, causing her to fall on her side. Bakura turned at this, brown eyes filled with concern. "Are you all right?" he wondered aloud, rising from his seat to approach her.

She nodded briefly; thankfully, the pain was not excruciating. Bakura lent out a hand as soon as he reached her. She gratefully accepted the help, and pulled herself up. "What are you doing up so late?" he asked her nicely, making sure that she was able to stand without stumbling.

"I needed some water," she told him hesitantly. "I couldn't find the bathroom." A light blush formed on her face; she felt foolish.

"Please excuse me for not pointing that out earlier," he apologized gracefully. His accent was clearly British, and Serenity couldn't help but smile at his elegant voice. "The bathroom is down the hall, first door on the right." He smiled friendlily as Serenity thanked him, and headed off toward where his finger pointed. She came to a sudden halt before turning to face him.

"I don't mean to be rude, but what…?" Serenity began to ask timidly, but stopped to avoid acting nosy. Bakura noticed how she was struggling, and cut in.

"What was I writing?" Bakura said as Serenity nodded. He paused. "A letter," he told her, somewhat disappointed. "To a family member of mine that I haven't seen in years." His face saddened for a moment, but quickly returned to its normal composure. "Anything I can get for you?"

"No, but thank you anyway. I better go back to bed," Serenity excused herself, hoping she was not causing this polite boy any trouble.

"Suit yourself. Sweet Dreams!"

"Thanks, same to you."

Serenity entered the bathroom, closed the door behind her, and ran the cold water across her still trembling hands. She eagerly splashed the water on her face, and then grabbed a nearby towel to dry her face off. After doing so, she reentered her tentative room and pulled the bed sheets tightly over her weak body.

_I must stop staying up so late…_

Ryou walked uneasily to his room, unusually exhausted. He ruffled his hair jadedly. It was now time for the most hated part of his day: sleep. Why was it that he hated this normal human routine? It was all because of what lay inside his dreams. He did not want to see _him _tonight.

On a lighter note, he thought of the girl currently residing in his home. He felt extremely sorry for her and wished that he could be of some use. He knew what it felt like to be alone, to lose someone you care about. He remembered what a difficult time he went through when he first was isolated from his own family. It was no doubt the worst year of his life.

He groaned as he turned on the lights, and with a heavy sigh, changed into suitable night-wear. While sitting on his bed, he decided that if he were to get any sleep, he might as well start now. After all, it was past two in the morning.

Ryou crawled under the covers and gently laid his head on one of his three pillows. He closed his eyes, well aware of what he would soon encounter. His fear was overcome by his body's lack of sleep, and just as he expected, he had unwillingly slipped into a deep slumber.

Suddenly he found himself on a road composed of bottomless clouds. A dark shade of purple surrounded this abnormal place, along with a disturbing aura. He had grown to recognize this familiar presence with an unfathomable revulsion.

Soon enough, another being appeared in front of him. A smirk made its way upon the evil figure's face, brown eyes narrow with deceit. Its white hair was even more muddled than Ryou's. Ryou, in turn, looked at his feet.

Ryou was staring at the reflection of himself—his yami.

The spirit inside the Millennium Ring, though he had supposedly been destroyed, had lived on in Ryou's dreams, preventing any good thoughts to enter his mind at night.

"We meet again, pitiful fool," the voice cackled with a haunting disdain.

"Can't you find anything better to do than taunt me every night?" Ryou snapped, clearly irritated.

"Honestly, no," His Yami grinned deviously, folding his arms. "I have some questions for you, mortal. Although I already am you—"

"You're NOT me. Shut up."

"Ooh, feisty, are we?" the spirit ridiculed. "I suggest you knock it off. Although I am unable to physically possess you, you realize that I can still hurt you."

Ryou did not respond, and his other leered in victory. "Now, if you will do so much as listen to me, I would like to ask you something. Will you let me finish, or are you going to be stupid and continue interrupting me?"

The spirit noticed his past hikari turn his head away. "I thought so." Still, no sound came from Ryou. His yami smiled at this.

"Why is it you skipped the friend of the pharaoh's funeral?" The spirit asked bluntly, still sneering. Ryou closed his eyes tightly.

The spirit was obviously enjoying Ryou's pain. "Tell, me, my former host, could it be because you were frightened?"

Ryou tried to ignore his other, careful to not look him in the eye. His yami's eyes were one of the most frightening parts about him. If Ryou were to just glance at them, he was overcome with an abrupt weakness, causing him to lose temporary control over his mind.

"Still quiet, are we?" the spirit mocked him. "Are you so weak as to not even say one simple word?"

Silence.

"I see," Ryou's yami snickered. "You _were_ afraid, weren't you? The death of the Wheeler boy made you uncomfortable."

Ryou began to sweat, yet continued to act unfazed.

"You liked it, didn't you?"

"I…I don't know what you're talking about," Ryou stuttered, grabbing onto his own arm for security.

"Oh, but I am positive you _do_. Something about this boy's death made you happy, am I right?"

"No!" Ryou blurted. "You're LYING."

"Am I? Or are you simply in denial?" His words echoed hauntingly throughout the place. The voice of his yami was full of bitterness, hate, and pure malevolence.

Ryou put his hands over his ears. "I'm not going to listen to you!" He was becoming obviously desperate now; the spirit took this as a win.

"You have no choice…"

Ryou opened his eyes at the sound of his alarm clock beeping. Could it be morning already? 8:00 am. He actually managed a whopping five and a half hours of sleep!

He irritably rose to his feet and went to the bathroom sink. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, disappointed. After staring at himself for what seemed like quite a few minutes, he whispered, "You will not win."


	4. Pain

A/N: Hey, guys! Sorry for the delay! The summer has been very busy for me, and I've been experiencing a lot of change. I went through extreme states of depression where I couldn't write at all, and I suffered from pure writer's block. Those aren't very good excuses, huh? Oh, well. Hopefully, this chapter is a lot better. This one is certainly longer than the previous ones.

Dragon2900: Ryou isn't possessed anymore because this story is post-series. **Spoiler: **At the end of YGO, Yami Bakura is destroyed. I think I mentioned something about him being destroyed in here somewhere… Sorry for the confusion!

Lily of the Shadow: Yeah, I got into ZIM for two years. Sadly, this obsession started just when it was getting cancelled! The fics in the IZ section have gotten lame. I don't even read the crap there anymore.

Distant Voice: Yep, the closest thing Ryou and Serenity ever did to a conversation was when Serenity commented something like, "He looks hurt. He needs a doctor." It's kind of sad that the two never talk to each other. If they did, I'd be happy to know about it!

Enjoy the fic!

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Serenity opened her eyes to the sunlight shining on her fair skin. She lazily rolled over to look at the clock, and her eyes widened. _I'm so terrible…_Serenity thought miserably. _I've become so tired due to all my stressing, that I do something so inconsiderate as to sleep in at a place that's not even my own! _

She quickly rose to her feet and opened the door. Hurrying, she nearly ran into the living room. Bakura was sitting on his couch, television on, his head turned her direction. "How are you holding up?" he asked with a concerned expression on his face.

Barely meeting his eyes, Serenity placed her hand over the other. "I'm fine…" she answered, though she could tell Bakura did not believe a word she said.

He decided to change the subject. "It's after eleven--you slept in. That's good." His normal pessimism was drowned out since Serenity started living in his home. What she needed most now was hope, and he was not about to take what little she had—if there were any—away from her.

Her face grew a light pink. "I…I'm sorry. I should have—" She felt foolish as she nervously searched for words, but before she could say anymore, Bakura raised his hand.

"There's no need to apologize," Bakura grinned. "You were tired; you needed to sleep in." She nodded, and he motioned for her to sit next to him.

Serenity did so, and he looked at her. "Are you hungry?" he asked and she hesitantly nodded. She did not want to be a nuisance, especially to someone this kind.

"Unfortunately," Bakura paused, sighing. "I don't know how to cook for beans, or literal beans for that matter. The weirdest part is that I've lived in this very apartment for a little more than four years without gaining any knowledge of cooking." He shook his head at his incompetence. "What I do most of the time is go out for breakfast. Care to join me?"

She paused, taken aback at his request. "I…don't have anything with me. I mean, I wouldn't want to go out like this—"

"We can take care of that," he told her. "I have a spare toothbrush and brush if you need it. We'll stop by your house so you can get your things, alright?"

Serenity looked worriedly at Ryou. "I would hate for you to go through all that trouble for me, you really don't have to."

"Don't say such things!" He lightly scolded the auburn haired girl, much to her surprise. "Honestly, Serenity, I don't consider this work at all. You're not any trouble, and you never will be. Take advantage of what people offer you—you'll need as much help as you can get right now, especially in this difficult time. Besides, I don't mind helping out a sweet girl such as yourself."

She smiled gratefully. "T-Thank you so much."

Bakura modestly waved it off. "Anytime."

-----

Ryou patiently waited for Serenity to finish getting ready. That girl… she didn't deserve her older brother's death at all. He knew how dependent she was on him, how much she admired him. Joey needed Serenity just as much as she did him; she was his reason for pressing forward in all of his duels.

There had been a large change in her expressions since Joey's passing. Whatever Serenity did was tinted with sadness and pain. He could see the hurt in her eyes and feel the dread in her words. Her actions were emotionless and absent-minded in everything she did. Ryou felt an urge to know the details of her brother's death, but the last thing he wanted was to upset the poor girl.

Serenity appeared next to him a few seconds later, hair down as always. Ryou had previously called a taxi to transport them to Serenity's apartment, seeing as he did not own a car yet. Once it arrived, the two climbed in as Serenity gave the driver her address.

"After you get your stuff, do you want to come back here to drop it off, or would you not mind carrying it with you inside the restaurant?" Ryou turned his head in Serenity's direction.

"Oh, I can carry it in, it's fine." The white haired boy nodded understandingly at her response.

"How'd you sleep last night?" Ryou asked the girl next to him, who was currently fiddling with her hands, nervousness written all over her face.

"Uh…okay, I guess. I had a terrible, drawn-out dream about my brother again," Serenity said uneasily, looking downward. Her face lifted, and her eyes met his. "How about you?"

Ryou blinked a few times, remembering his own dream. "I slept okay, but like you, my dreams weren't all that pleasant." _Thanks to him…_

"Oh, I'm sorry…"

A bump in the road interrupted the awkwardness of the moment, as both passengers bounced in their seats. Serenity giggled at this.

"What's so funny?" Ryou asked her, happy and yet confused at her reasons for smiling.

Serenity shook her head. "Nothing…it's just…you kind of had a weird face when we hit that bump." She chuckled again. "I'm sorry, I just can't help it!"

"Oh, really?"

Ryou conversed with Serenity until the driver came to a stop. "This is it," she informed him, getting out. Ryou did the same, and followed her to the front door. It was wide open, and Serenity placed a hand on her forehead.

"I can't believe I left the door open…" She muttered to herself and then turned to Ryou. "You can come in if you want."

Ryou followed her inside and gazed at the walls around him. Serenity had already disappeared into the kitchen, allowing him to comfortably inspect the room he was standing in.

Clippings from newspapers that featured Joey were scattered across the walls. Photographs of Joey, Serenity, and other people individually and in group pictures were also hung around the clippings.

"You have fifteen new messages."

A male voice interrupted Ryou, and he jerked his head in the direction of the sound, startled. It was just the answering machine, he soon found out.

"Sent Saturday at 9:03 pm."

A voice he recognized as Mai Valentine echoed throughout the fairly small apartment. "Hey, Serenity, it's Mai. Just seeing how you were doing. Call me back, okay, sweetheart?"

The monotonous male voice continued. "Next message."

"Hey Serenity, this is Duke. I'm calling to check up on you. If you need anything, really, you can just pick up the phone and call me. I'm available, like, pretty much all of the time, so yeah. Just know that. So, remember, if you need anything, I'm here. Even if you need some company, I'm here. Alright? Bye."

"Hey Serenity, this is Tristan…"

Serenity walked into another room, with the messages still playing. "Boyfriends?" Ryou asked teasingly.

"Nope," Serenity answered, bringing out a duffel bag. "Just, you know… Duke and Tristan."

Ryou nodded. Even he could tell that those two had been fighting for Serenity's affections for years. Joey was never too happy about this. In fact, he'd threaten them every time they made even a comment.

He waited for a few minutes, and couldn't help eavesdropping on the messages being played. Tristan, Duke, Tristan, Duke, Duke, Duke, Tristan, Duke… Those boys wouldn't give up, would they?

Serenity was obviously not paying attention. He had seen her go down a hall, but he had not seen her return. He walked forward warily, curious as to what she was doing. He did not hear so much as a rustle while he was waiting for her.

Peeking around the corner, he heard a few sniffles. He quietly headed towards the sound to see Serenity on her knees in front of a room. She was crying, holding her two hands against her face. Shaking, she took a hand off of her face and wiped the tears away. She saw him and nearly jumped.

"Oh, Bakura!" she said, surprised. "I'm almost done." It seemed as if she were trying to ignore her own distress.

"Take your time," he answered. "We're in no rush." She sighed and looked inside the room she had been sitting in front of. Ryou came up next to her and glanced into the area. "It's his room, isn't it?"

The young girl lifted her head to look at him, and he took this as a yes. Ryou peered inside. Yes, this room had certainly belonged to Joey. The whole room was untidy, and clothes were strewn across the floor. Pictures and posters of Duel Monsters, advertisements for dueling tournaments, and Serenity were hung on the walls.

"He never was very organized…" Serenity admitted quietly, blushing. "His friends and I always poked fun at him about that. You remember, don't you?"

Ryou nodded. "Yes, I do," he smiled, remembering Joey's excuses when he and his friends would laugh at his disorganization. Joey never took it seriously—it wasn't meant to be either.

Serenity stood up suddenly, rubbing her eyes. "Let me go fix my hair really quick, and then we can go, okay?" Serenity went into the bathroom before Ryou could respond. _Poor thing…_ he thought, and felt helpless. He wanted to make her feel better, but he knew due to prior experiences that the loss of a family member was not forgotten or easy to get over.

He thought of his own little sister, who had died a few years back, when he was around fifteen. Amane wasn't too different from Serenity either. Both were sweet and shy, they both had a natural beauty about themselves…

Ryou's thoughts were interrupted as Serenity appeared next to him. "Ready?" he asked her, and she replied.

"Ready."

-----

The two arrived at a restaurant after a fairly long and dull taxi drive. Serenity did not feel like speaking when it wasn't necessary—she hadn't ever since Joey's death. The drive there was complete silence; Bakura didn't seem to have much to say either.

Serenity noticed the building was a lunch and dinner place, not a breakfast one. "I figured since it's noon already that we eat lunch instead," Bakura told her, as if he were reading her thoughts. "Is that alright with you?"

"Oh, yes, that's fine," she answered quickly, nodding.

A waiter sat them at a table and presented them with their menus. Serenity fiddled with hers, while Bakura just set his aside. "…Are you eating anything?" she asked, confused.

"Of course," he told her. "I already know what I want."

"Oh," she said quietly, blushing. "…what is it you normally get?"

"Just a cheeseburger."

"Oh, cool."

Serenity's hands fiddled in her lap awkwardly, eyes downcast. Both were uncomfortable at the silence, and yet none of them knew how to break it.

Someone did, however, and her name was Tea Gardner.

The brunette appeared in front of their table in a waitress' uniform, looking confused. "Bakura? Serenity? What are you guys doing here?"

The younger girl held onto a strand of her hair. "Eating, I guess."

"What about you?" Bakura interrupted, centering his attention on her. "I thought you were in New York!"

A frown formed on Tea's face. "I…got kicked out. I missed too many practices, due to trying to see all of Joey and Yugi's duels, so the people at the studio got really angry." Her blue eyes shone with sadness. "No one around there will hire me now, because they apparently told all the other studios about how I could never be on time. Now I'm stuck here, seeing as I don't get paid anymore."

"Oh… I'm so sorry…" Serenity felt sympathy for her friend—dancing was Tea's dream.

"It's alright," Tea forced a smile, and quickly changed the subject. "Is your flu gone, Serenity?"

"Yeah," the younger girl responded, holding a piece of her hair between her fingers. She noticed Bakura give a worried look in her direction as her expression saddened even more so than before. Serenity smiled at him, attempting to reassure the British teen that she was alright.

Tea began to speak again, seemingly trying to escape from a painful subject. "I've never seen you two together before! You guys dating or something? I've always thought you two would make a really cute couple—"

Serenity looked at Bakura and both of them blushed. "No, we aren't, actually," Serenity interrupted, her face growing even redder than before. "I'm just…staying with him for a while."

Tea raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were staying with Mai! Why are you staying with—"

"Uh, Tea, if you don't mind, we're actually kind of hungry…" Bakura pointed out, and Tea slapped her head.

"Oh, right, sorry…"

-----

During the rest of the day, the two spent their time in Ryou's apartment. Serenity went inside her new room, and shut the door. She was far from alright, and Ryou hoped there was some way he could help.

Evening came slowly, and Ryou decided that if he was going to go to his secret area that he treasured so dearly, he had better do it now. He hated to leave Serenity alone, but if he were to sleep at all, he knew he had no option.

He walked over to her room and knocked lightly on the closed door. "Come in," she responded quietly, yet loud enough for Ryou to hear her. He opened it warily, and glanced at her. She was laying face first on the bed, and her face turned to meet his eyes.

Sympathy overwhelmed Ryou, and he sat on the edge of the bed, next to her feet. "You know, Joey would want you to be happy."

Serenity nodded and sniffed. "I know. It's just so... _hard_." A long pause followed as she wiped her face with her hand. "I really don't know how he expects me to live without him."

"Well, I know he certainly didn't want to leave you alone," he told her. Ryou scratched his head thoughtfully. "I know this is probably not helping at all—considering that I've actually gone through something similar to you, and no one was ever able to help me. Even people who lost loved ones as well could not ease the pain I was going through. But honestly, Serenity, Joey wanted nothing more than for you to be happy and safe. He loved you a lot, you know. Back when he competed in Pegasus' Duelist Kingdom, he wouldn't stop talking about you. It meant so much to him that you would be able to see again, and to actually experience life normally. I'm sure even now that he wishes the same thing for you. He doesn't want to be the one to take away your happiness."

"Yeah, you're right," she agreed sadly holding on to her pillow. She said nothing more, and Ryou breathed heavily. It didn't seem like anything he said helped her at all.

"I'm going to take a walk, alright?" He told her, standing up.

"Okay."

With that, he left the room.

-----

After Bakura left, Serenity kept her head in her pillow. She rolled over to face the ceiling, tears still streaming down her face. "Joey? You really didn't have to do that for me, you know… If only you would have stayed home. If only I was well enough to get it for myself. That was pretty selfish of me, huh? If I had left, I would be the one gone, not you. You deserve a place on this earth more than me." She reached into her pocket and took out her brother's favorite card: the Red Eyes Black Dragon. She held it to her chest lovingly, and whispered, "Help me be strong… I was never able to do anything without you." She thought about Bakura's words and sighed. "You want me to be happy? I'll try, then, okay? I love you."

She slowly drifted off to sleep, clutching the Red Eyes Black Dragon close to her body. Holding that card brought her a sense of peace—it was as if he was right there with her.


	5. Comfort

So, basically, you all can tell me what a bad little girl I've been, with not updating since what, August? I'd like to blame it on high school, or that my busy life is far too much for me to handle. But, that wouldn't be fair. I was lazy and I worked on this every like, two months. I have no life, nothing to keep me occupied. So, yeah, I should have updated this a long time ago. The end of this chapter is sappy, no doubt. With Softshipping, it's extremely difficult to escape the high cheese-factor. Ah, well. Critique is appreciated, but please do not be harsh. Sorry, guys, for taking so long.

Enjoy.

* * *

_What on earth is that smell?_

Ryou's head lifted slightly from a white, fluffy pillow as his eyes fluttered open. What was that lovely aroma? The scent reminded him of freshly cooked food; in fact, he was almost certain it was. After rising to his feet, he left his room and headed down the hall.

Inside the kitchen, he found Serenity using his stove. She had turned her head and almost jumped, startled that he had appeared so suddenly. "Oh! Good morning!" She greeted, bowing politely.

"Good morning," Ryou rubbed his eyes tiredly. He glanced at her, then at the frying pan in her hand. "What are you doing, exactly?"

"Cooking breakfast," She replied with a cheerful smile. "Here." She handed a bowl to him, and he stared at it, a single eyebrow raised in confusion.

Serenity frowned, looking offended. "What? Did I do something wrong?"

"Oh, no!" Ryou grinned and took the bowl from her hand. "It's just…you really didn't have to do this—"

"No really, I insist!" Serenity interrupted. "I mean, you've done so much for me already. It's the least I can do!"

"Ah, well, if you insist…" He sat down at a small dining table, and waited patiently for Serenity to join him. She fixed up a bowl for herself, and then pulled up the chair across from him. Ryou took a small swig out of the soup she made him, and immediately his eyes widened.

"Wow, this is really good!" He commented with widened eyes before he resumed eating.

"Oh, come on! Don't tell me you've never had miso soup before!"

Ryou only grinned innocently.

"Wow," She laughed, taking a bite out of the rice. "I used to cook this for Joey and myself all the time."

No alteration took place in Serenity's expression as she spoke her brother's name. Ryou noticed this and began to wonder, _Could she be improving at all? _

"Really? Well, it's very good," Ryou commented as he took yet another sip of the soup.

"Thank you!"

"Mhmm…"

-----

"Hey, Serenity?" Bakura suddenly spoke up a few hours later.

"Yes?" Serenity responded, turning her head toward Bakura after turning down the volume on the television. She placed her hands in her lap gently after doing so; that had become quite a habit of hers.

"I'm going to have to leave the house for a bit," He told her, resting his arms on top of the couch. "I have to turn in something for my work."

Serenity's eyes flew open, much to Ryou's surprise. "You have a job?"

Bakura chuckled at this and grinned. "Yeah."

"But you're so young! You should be in college still."

"I already went to college," He informed her. "I went for two years so I could get my BA, and then I decided not to continue when the local newspaper hired me."

"I never knew you had a job in the paper!" She exclaimed, eyes still wide in awe. "That's so cool! So, you're a writer, I'm guessing?"

Bakura nodded, his cheeks turning a light pink at how excited she seemed. "Yes." He glanced at the clock. "Oh, drat, I'm going to be late! I'll be back pretty soon, okay?"

"Alright."

As soon as Bakura shut the door, Serenity let out a sigh of relief. She was doing well so far. Why did it have to be so difficult to keep a happy composure? It didn't feel right, covering up what she felt inside.

Serenity knew better than to ignore Bakura's advice. After all, he was right. Joey would NOT want her to stand around moping all day, that was certain. She promised that she would not cry today, not even the slightest bit. Today, she was going to be completely happy.

"Be brave, Serenity," Her brother's voice returned to her from long ago with memories of their childhood. Scenes from when their parents were getting divorced flooded her mind, every detail appearing as if it had just occurred the day before. Back then, it was almost possible to endure a day without constant yelling and screaming between the two adults.

Joey always made up for those times by taking a walk to a beach that was conveniently located near their home. The two of them would play for hours on end; Joey seemed to frequently get hit by waves while Serenity made castles in the sand. Just one short day at the beach brought the two siblings happiness in times of stress.

It was then that Serenity and Joey were separated. Their mother took Serenity to move somewhere far away, while Joey was forced to stay with his drunkard of a father. The first few months without him nearly killed her spirit. It had been incredibly lonely, and it had been five months since she had even started to make new friends. It wasn't until she was nearly blind that she was able to see him again—nine years later.

_No, distract yourself_, she commanded herself silently, shaking her head. Rising to her feet, she decided to walk around. There was not much she could do, being alone in a relatively small apartment. She walked through a short hall until she passed Bakura's room.

Serenity stopped to peer inside for a moment. An odd curiosity perked up inside of her; perhaps she could find out more about him there. After all, he was being so nice to her. It would only be polite to get to know him, right?

Subconsciously, she passed through the doorway, glancing around warily. Like every other room in the apartment, the area was organized and tidy. The bed was made, the dresser was neat…

The same people in the portraits that decorated the rest of the walls were scattered upon the ones in this room as well. _They have to be his family,_ Serenity concluded while examining the pictures closely.

Bakura had only mentioned his father a couple of times since she had first met him. He had never spoken of his mother or the younger girl in the pictures. She decided the girl must be his sister—after all, a cousin or a close friend would never be in immediate family photos. A younger Bakura appeared content and joyful, more so than she had ever seen him act before.

It was then that a random flashback of Battle City occurred in her mind, when Bakura competed in the tournament.

Now that she thought about it, the person she saw wasn't the same Bakura she saw.

This Bakura was evil—intent on defeating the spirit inside Yugi's Millennium Puzzle. Serenity to this day had a difficult time comprehending how the mysterious items worked. Joey had attempted explaining the story to her, but his version was unbelievable and out of order. If she remembered correctly, Bakura possessed one of these items. His resembled a dream catcher; it was referred to as the Millennium Ring.

The vengeful, demon-like spirit that controlled Bakura's body was heartless and cruel. She remembered seeing the dark side of Bakura for the first time when he versed Yugi's other half in the semi-finals. Yugi had almost annihilated the evil spirit when a man used an object called the millennium rod to bring the good Bakura out. The plan succeeded, and the true Bakura immediately fell to his knees in excruciating pain. He was begging for help from Yugi, completely oblivious to his surroundings. Kaiba's flunkees, as Joey called them, threatened a disqualification if one of them came in contact with the other.

It was then that the dark Bakura appeared again, just to receive the attack from Yugi's god-monster, Slifer. Although they shared they same body, the other Bakura was physically stronger than the one she knew.

Strangely enough, the spirit disappeared after the attack, leaving Bakura injured and helpless. Everyone, including her, had rushed to his aid. He seemed so innocent and undeserving of this…_torture._ Bakura was too nice to be controlled by such a demon.

And if Serenity remembered right, he was sort of cute. He still was, actually.

She blushed for a moment at the thought before pushing it away. Joey never liked it when she mentioned boys, or even looked at them for that matter. It was silly in her opinion, but his protective outbursts were only for her own good. To be honest, Serenity missed all of his temper tantrums, no matter how nonsensical they were.

Sighing, she realized that she had indeed been inside his room for more than an hour. It would be best, she decided, that she return to the living room before Bakura returned. If he did return early, the embarrassment would almost be unbearable—

Serenity felt a hand on her shoulder and slightly jumped, startled. Turning around quickly, she almost bumped into Bakura. She blushed as she stepped backwards and placed a hand over her mouth. "I…I'm sorry," She apologized, eyes wide and pleading. It was then that she realized how rude she had been. Bakura was caring enough to let her stay with him, and she had intruded! She found herself wanting to cry, but she pushed the feeling away and waited for his response.

Much to her surprise, Bakura grinned and even laughed. "It's alright, no need to apologize. What's an apartment if you can't go exploring the rooms, right?" Serenity's composure eased as he spoke.

"You aren't mad?"

Bakura shook his head, obviously amused. "Why would I be mad?" He said, chuckling and scratching the top of his head. Then, he simply shrugged. "I don't have a reason." Serenity forced a weak smile at his words.

"You're probably wondering who these people are, huh?" Bakura brought up, gazing at the photographs longingly as if they held a deeper meaning than she had imagined. Serenity nodded, eager to hear about the mysterious strangers.

"This…" He began, pointing to an average sized man with long, blue hair and glasses. "…is my father. I never see him, but he sends money to me every month. I don't think he realizes that I'm no longer a little boy." Bakura smiled before shifting his finger to a woman beside his father. She was pretty and appeared no older than thirty-three. Her long, silvery hair framed her thin, fair-skinned face nicely.

"That's my mum," He said proudly before his gaze dropped to the floor, seeming somewhat saddened by the topic. "I haven't seen her in more than five years." Dropping the subject, he moved his index finger to the last member in the photo.

"This," Bakura said softly, his tone decreasing noticeably. "This is my little sister, Amane." Serenity's eyes widened. Remembering the letters in his room, she realized that this was the girl he was writing to. He probably missed her an awful lot. Why didn't he ever mention his mother and sister?

Without giving Serenity anymore time to ponder about this, Bakura headed for the door and gestured for her to follow. "We should do something," He suggested with a smile, pausing as she caught up with him.

"Like what?"

Bakura shrugged. "I don't know, just something, I suppose." He entered his living room and sat on the couch, clearly bored. Serenity joined him without another word and patiently waited for him to come up with an idea.

"What do you do on days like these?"

Serenity paused for a moment to think. "Well, I used to clean the house, because Joey would always make a mess of things and then he'd go out with his friends. But I was really sick when he died so I hadn't had a chance to…" Suddenly, she stopped. How could she even say that sentence so bluntly? His death was due to her illness. How could she be so insensitive?

Immediately Serenity rose to her feet and turned from him, trying not to let him see the tears welling up in her eyes. "I need to…go to my room," She said softly, beginning to head toward the hall.

"Wait," Bakura said suddenly, standing up as well. She stood silently, waiting for him to continue. A moment of silence occurred between the two; none of them did so much as move in the few minutes that they stood there. With a sigh, Bakura shifted his gaze downward.

"You know, you don't always have to run from what you feel," He finally spoke, his voice soft and hesitant. Serenity put a hand over her face to keep the tears from rolling down her cheek. She wouldn't cry again; crying didn't benefit her at all.

Bakura continued. "I know I said that Joey wants you to be happy, but I don't think pretending to be is the same thing, you know? It's alright to be upset and to cry, really. It takes a long time to acquire happiness after losing someone. Trust me, I know."

Serenity said nothing, knowing how stupid she would seem, crying in front of him like that. She would hate to make things awkward. Before she could think any further, Bakura's nearly inaudible voice spoke once again.

"I lost two members of my family in the same accident when I was around thirteen. My little sister, Amane, from the pictures, she wanted to go to the store with my mother. I stayed home because I was busy with some sort of new game my father had bought me from one of his travels. He was on a trip at the time. A few hours later, I received a phone call that my mother and sister were in an awful wreck with a bus. They had died instantly, and I couldn't do anything for weeks. I resembled a constantly lifeless zombie all throughout the funeral. My father took some time off of his job for me; God knows I wouldn't be able to be alone all of that time. After some mishaps at my school, I was sent here to live in an apartment. This is my second or third one; I can't remember at the moment. Anyway, I was just like you, for the longest time. Nothing was able to cheer me up, so I faked being happy, and it killed me. There's no reason you should have to—"

Before he said anything more, Serenity spun around and buried her face into his chest. Her breathing quickened as she began to sob, almost reaching the point of hysteria. She knew what she was doing was slightly awkward, but at this moment, she could care less. Everything became less awkward once he put his arms around her in an embrace. At least he didn't mind.

"I was sick," Serenity said through her tears. "I couldn't go and pick up the medicine I needed, so Joey told me that he would for me. I…I wouldn't let him at first, but he insisted he go instead of me. And at the…at the pharmacy, that's where a man shot him. None of us know why, either. The police told me the man with the gun was high or drunk, but I don't know why someone would even do something like that. Joey didn't do anything. He only tried to help me." She stopped momentarily as she continued to cry. "It's all my fault."

Bakura shook his head. "It's not your fault. It wasn't my fault that my mother and sister died just because I didn't go with them. You don't know how long it took me to realize that. Years, Serenity, _years_. I don't want you to have to go through the same thing I did. Believe me; you had no doing in your brother's death from what you told me. You would only be responsible if you shot him yourself, which you didn't."

Serenity nodded as much as she could with the position she was in. To be honest, she didn't mind him holding her at all. Bakura had an odd way of comforting her, one she couldn't understand. It wasn't just his words that made her feel secure, but also something she was unable to describe. "Thank you," She said softly, her breathing now starting to regulate itself.

"Don't worry, love. Don't worry at all."


	6. Here's to New Beginnings

A/N: You all thought I disappeared off the face of the earth, didn't you? Well, I can only explain this final chapter as a result of my mind nagging at me to finish this thing. It's been what, two years? There are many reasons why I haven't updated, including a move to Arizona, a lost interest in anime, and much more. Entertaining, I know, right? To be honest, my writing sucked especially in the chapters before this one. I'm hoping to have improved at least a little, because well, to be honest, I was only a freshman in high school when I wrote the majority of the chapters, and now I'm a junior. This will most likely be my last installment ever on (if it's still referred to as that nowadays), so feel special. Enjoy!

Oh, yeah, and I still adore Bakura.

-----

Serenity had started going to school again after a week or two. With Bakura's help, she was slowly recovering from the death of her older brother. Thinking of him was painful, but she had learned to turn her pain into determination. Whenever he came into her mind, she would focus on his will for her happiness. Never would he stand to see her cry for his sake; she knew that things would be no different now that he was no longer with her.

When Serenity returned to Domino High, numerous questions were forced upon her about the details of the funeral and how she was coping with Joey's death. People she had never seen before apologized, and she dismissed their apologies with a brief nod and a glance to the floor. Sometimes the constant questions and reminders of what she had lost were too much to bear. Bakura had told her to hold her head up high and remember the good times she shared with Joey in order to lift her spirits. She forced herself to do so, and it paid off more than she honestly imagined it would. As the days passed, her moods were brighter, and soon enough she seemed like her old self again. It was obvious to even her that she was handling her brother's death so much better than before, and she couldn't help but be proud of herself. Eventually she applied for a part-time hostess job at a local restaurant in order to make money for herself and contribute to the payment of the extra groceries Bakura brought home every week. At first he refused, but Serenity insisted, and he gave in.

Each day after school, she would return to Bakura's apartment, and he would always be there waiting. His cheerful smile and welcome when she arrived back home was something she looked forward to. Every time she walked through the front door, she heard the exact same phrase:

"Hello, Serenity! How was your day today?"

Each day his smile grew wider and friendlier; it was enough to put a stressful day at ease. She had learned to confide in Bakura and ended up telling him nearly all the slightest details of school and work. He listened more than anyone else had and was always willing to give advice when needed. In return, he also trusted her with everything that was on his mind. If one of his bosses was giving him a hard time or if his day was just plain stressful, she did her best to listen and sympathize. After a month or two, they were completely comfortable around each other. There were hardly any awkward silences during their many conversations, and in the rare times they occurred, they would be broken as quick as they came. Serenity enjoyed talking to him more than anything; he was wise and full of experience with a painful past behind the gentle words he spoke. There was a feeling she experienced when she was around him—one that made the possibility of leaving him unbearable. At times she wondered if it was a simple case of codependency or rather something deeper than that.

Months passed since Serenity started living with Bakura, and all of their friends were well aware of this now. Mai volunteered to help her move out of Joey's old apartment completely; all his things were packed away and kept in a spare room at Mai's house for Serenity to take whenever she decided to leave Bakura's apartment. Somewhere in that period of time, Mai had decided to move to a city quite a few hours away from Domino. Her reasons were unknown, but it seemed as if she was more than eager to get out of the city she had moved in just a couple of years before. Coincidentally enough, she had invited Serenity to go with her. The two girls were nearly sisters, being friends only eleven years apart in age. Mai was the most ideal guardian for Serenity before she was emotionally able to live on her own. She had agreed to her friend's proposal, though Bakura knew nothing of it yet. Because of this, she felt a terrible sense of guilt. This was the only thing she hadn't told him yet, and she didn't plan on telling him either. She was afraid of leaving him; he was now closer to her than anyone had ever been in her entire life, aside from her brother. Part of her wanted to go with Mai, and the other wanted to stay with Bakura. Repeatedly, she would convince herself that moving out was much better for her than continuing to live with her older brother's friend. Of course, he wasn't just Joey's friend, he was hers too.

Still, there was a longing she felt to be more than friends with Bakura, and she had no idea if he felt the same way. Although it felt silly to even think of such things, she couldn't help but wonder. What was the harm in that, anyway? He was everything she had dreamed of in a potential boyfriend. Not only was he handsome, but incredibly sweet, thoughtful, and caring. Somehow, she had missed these qualities when she first met him.

In the back of her mind, she believed Joey's death had occurred for a reason. It was tragic, yes, and excruciatingly hard to deal with, yet she felt more confident than ever before. This was what Joey wanted her to be, brave and strong. And by doing this, she believed, she was.

-----

Ryou's dreams slowly changed for the better. As they grew closer, the more Serenity appeared in his dreams, standing strong next to him as his dark side slowly faded to nothing. He dreamt about her almost every night, and seeing her outside of his dreams gave him a reason to smile more. His happiness was no longer forced, but genuine, and everyone he was around could see it. Because of this, his journalism career improved, giving him the chance to travel all over Japan, and sometimes even outside the country. Serenity went with him most of the time, for they were only short trips and usually didn't interfere with her school or work.

For her eighteenth birthday, he had set up a surprise party for her at Yugi's home. The entire gang was invited, and the party went well. She was more than surprised; never had Ryou seen her smile that much in one night. Her thanks to him was conveyed in a tight hug which not only surprised him but made his heart feel warm. There was something about her that made him realize she meant a lot more to him than he thought she did. During her graduation ceremony, he attended along with the old gang and he was first to receive a hug from her.

He found himself watching the clock in anticipation for her to get home from school and work, all to greet her with a smile and hear about her day. Serenity seemed just as happy to see him when she explained her own day and asked about his. After that, he would help her with her homework and they would resume talking until she needed to leave for work. Then the process repeated itself the next day, and the next, and the next.

Girlfriend was a foreign word to Ryou, given that he had never been in a relationship before. However, he was sure his feelings for Serenity were more than he had ever felt for someone before, and if he were to have any sort of a girlfriend, she would be the only one he would want as his. She, after all, was the reason why he smiled so much lately, why he had such a sudden positive outlook on life. He decided that he must find time to talk to her about how he felt about her, but didn't have any idea of when the right time would be. It had to be perfect, nothing less.

It was a bright Thursday afternoon when Serenity came home from school, but there was something different about her expression than usual. Instead of her usual cheerful smile, she seemed tired and as if something was bothering her. Ryou tilted his head and glanced over at her curiously. "What's wrong, love?" He inquired, this being his usual question whenever he sensed things had gone amiss in her world.

A quiet sigh escaped Serenity's mouth, her lips curling into an unsatisfied frown. "Nothing, really," She started to explain, lifting her gaze to meet his. "Today was just stressful, I guess. One of those days where everything seems like it's going wrong, you know?" After setting her bag neatly on a chair, she joined him on the couch.

Ryou nodded, understanding well what she meant. He had his own share of bad days, worsened by being alone. Now that Serenity was always around, his usual bad days weren't so bad anymore. "Yes, I do," He admitted, his enormous brown eyes looking into hers. Suddenly, a smile crept upon his face; the greatest idea had passed through his mind. "Here, let me show you something."

-----

"Come on," Bakura urged as Serenity fought to keep a grin off of her face. Once out of the apartment complex, he started leading her across the park immediately next to it. Upon entering a gathering of trees that could very well serve as a mini-forest, she couldn't help but wonder where he was taking her. This was her last day with him; that was part of the reason why today was such a rough day. She had quit her job without telling Bakura and had almost finished packing. Mai was taking care of the rest of her belongings at the apartment to make things easier. Amazing how there was so much a person couldn't know.

"Where are we going?" Serenity asked with a slight laugh, letting him lead the way, his hand loosely grasping hers. It would be a lie if she said she didn't enjoy the fact that they were technically holding hands. A light pink colored her cheeks as they walked, all the while silently scolding herself for acting like a child.

"Here," Bakura stated with a grin, letting go of her hand to sit on an old tree stump in a more roomy area of the forest. Scooting over, he patted the spot next to him a few times in order to gesture for her to sit next to him. She did so without any form of hesitance, and then he continued. "You, my dear, are the first person besides myself to be introduced to this place. I come here often to think a little. Peace and quiet like this helps me regain my thoughts and feel less stressed. You should feel terribly special." With a light chuckle, he smiled over at her and she did the same. His expression softened slightly as he continued. "Whenever I take walks, this is where I go. There's some strange beauty I find here that's reassuring when I'm upset or confused or feeling anything for that matter."

Although it wasn't gleaming with natural beauty, Serenity could easily spot what Bakura was talking about. There was a light wind caressing their cheeks, ruffling the leaves on each one of the trees. The sound of the wind itself was calming. "I see it," She admitted, glancing around with wide, hazel eyes. "How pretty it is, I mean." After a few minutes of silence, she was beginning to see how amazing this little space was. Being so close to Bakura wasn't so bad either. She looked over at him for a few seconds, watching as he silently admired the scenery in front of him. When he noticed she was looking at him, he smiled over at her.

"What?" Bakura asked in a sweet tone of voice. Serenity's response wasn't in the form of words, but in kissing him softly on the lips. She knew why she did it, but not why she acted upon it so fast. This wasn't like her at all. To her surprise, he kissed her in return. When she pulled away, he couldn't help but ask, "What was that for?"

Serenity just smiled innocently and shrugged. Before she could answer him, he put his hand on her cheek and kissed her right back. This continued on for a few moments, both of them enjoying every minute of it and too timid to try anything more with each other. There was one point where Bakura's hand had unknowingly slipped under her shirt, but he removed it immediately and pulled away to apologize before resuming again.

Due to how unaware of the time of day they were, it was becoming dark and the two decided to head home hand in hand. Serenity thought they resembled teenagers in a way, with his laughs and her giggles, not to mention the cliché warm fuzzy feeling she felt in her stomach.

When they arrived home, they sat on the couch to watch the television, Bakura refraining himself from kissing her again just yet. He had been taught to respect women and not to depend on his own male human instincts. Due to the lack of romance in his life, he was incredibly self-conscious about any form of expressing attraction to someone he was interested in. That had been something he confided in Serenity about, anyway. However, he did put his arm around her, and she was obviously alright with his gesture by the way she leaned her head against his shoulder. There was nothing much to watch, and in result Bakura ceased flipping through the stations at a random comedy show that she had never recalled seeing before. Before he could think much of it, Serenity had already drifted off to sleep.

Serenity woke up to find the television set still on and Bakura asleep. Glancing over at a clock, she discovered it was only midnight. It was that moment that she remembered what was happening the upcoming day. Mai would give her a call on her cell phone early in the morning, and she would come out with her suitcases, all ready to leave. Her heart sank as she realized what would happen. There would be no living with Bakura anymore, no adorable British accent to greet her when she came home from work, and no trying to teach him how to cook in the evenings. She lifted her head and stood up from the couch as quietly as she could, heading into her room. As she closed the door behind her, the sadness she never expected to feel finally rose in her throat as she fought to hold back the tears. She had managed to go without crying in a long time. "I can do this," She whispered to herself, pulling out her suitcase and packing the rest of her things. This was the next step she needed to take in order to become a better person. Now, after months of living together something was finally starting to happen between them. It was a shame that this spontaneous physicality with Bakura had all happened now, rather than before, but that was her fault. If only she hadn't kissed him…

Among all of her doubts, she knew that there was no time for regret. Change was necessary for improvement; that was one thing she had learned through all of this. As she packed, she took another long glance at the room she had been staying in. This had become her room, with pictures of her family on the nightstand and dresser. Taking them off of the nightstand and dresser, she knew very well that something was wrong. What if she wasn't supposed to leave just yet? What if her life was supposed to be with Bakura?

There was a sudden knock on the door, and she quickly shoved her suitcase under her bed. After making sure nothing looked suspicious, she sat on her bed and told Bakura to come in. The door opened slightly as he peeked in, smiling at her still. It was an awful smile that flooded her with guilt. Should she have told him earlier? Should she even tell him now?

"I just wanted to say goodnight," Bakura said, blushing enough to where Serenity could see. He was so sweet and thoughtful and cute; the regret was eating her heart away. She forced a smile and nodded her head.

"Goodnight."

"See you in the morning."

The door shut, thankfully, before she could say anything. Mai was coming early due to the long drive, earlier than Bakura woke up. She hoped to God she would be out of the house before he was awake. The disappointment on his face would make their goodbye far more dreadful than she had ever imagined. After pulling out her suitcase, she packed the rest of her belongings away and closed it. Tears escaped down her red cheeks until she wiped them away. One thing was for sure, now: not one part of her wanted to leave Bakura.

She rose to her feet, her heart scolding her all the way as she quietly walked out of her room and into the room with a desk, where she opened the drawers and shuffled through his things for a pen and paper. When she found both, she went back into her room—or so now called the guest room, since it was no longer hers—and shut the door behind her.

Then, she began to write.

-----

The sound of car doors slamming outside of his apartment caused a startled awakening for Ryou. It was early, six o'clock, when he usually made it out of bed around seven. There wasn't much of a difference, he figured, and decided to begin getting dressed. As soon as he changed his clothes, he went to see if Serenity was already awake. His dreams were full of her and of them together that night. As soon as he saw she wasn't in the living room, he went outside to see what the weather was like. Yawning, he put his hands in his pockets and headed outside.

There was a car parked outside with a woman in her twenties in the drivers' seat. He didn't mean to stare, but there was something about the woman that appeared oddly familiar. A few seconds passed before he realized that the woman in the car looked exactly like Mai; she _was _Mai. Confused at why she was in this area, he glanced over to look behind the car, and there was Serenity, closing the back of the trunk and getting in the front seat. He felt his heart sink as he hurried over to the car. "Serenity!" He called, almost panicked. "Wait!"

Before he could catch up, Serenity took one final glance back as the car took off. "Wait," He said, more softly, wondering what the hell had just happened. His mind was swirling with thoughts, all about what had just happened. Most of all, he wondered if she would be back. From what he saw, she was packing a suitcase into the car. That wasn't a good sign. After standing there for a couple of minutes as if the car would come back somehow, he turned to go inside.

As he entered his apartment, he assumed her leaving had something to do with him. Ryou opened the door to her room to see everything folded neatly, all of her pictures and personal belongings gone without a trace. However, there was a small piece of paper against one of the pillows, drawing him nearer. Picking up the note, he read it and for the first time in a long, long, while, fought tears.

_Bakura:_

_I want to apologize for leaving like this, but I know that this won't be nearly enough to express how sorry I am. I suppose I should first tell you where I'm going. Mai picked me up this morning; I'm living with her now in a city several hours away from Domino. I've known about this for awhile now, I was just scared of telling you. This has nothing to do with yesterday. I had a lot of fun with you and I sincerely care about you more than I have ever cared about anyone else. You taught me a lot of things, Bakura, and one of them was to not to run from what I'm afraid of. And to be honest, I know that I'm supposed to get away from this town. I'm ready to let go of everything and begin again. Mai is providing everything for me and I've been accepted into one of the colleges there. As you read this, I just ask that you don't hate me. I promise I'll come visit you again, sometime, when I'm ready. You mean so much to me. Thank you again for taking care of me and looking out for me when I needed it. You've become a great friend of mine._

_--Serenity_

-----

Serenity was far from ready to see Bakura when she did. When he was chasing after the car, all she could see was a young Joey, screaming out her name, yelling at her not to go. Tears were in her eyes as she slunk in her seat, trying her hardest not to cry. There was silence for a few moments before Mai spoke up.

"You alright, sweetheart?" She asked, turning once to glance at Serenity before returning her gaze to the road in front of her. With a sigh, Serenity's lips curled into a frown as she wondered if this really was the right decision to make. Images of a distraught Bakura and Joey flooded her mind, so much to the point of where she couldn't handle it anymore. All she wanted to do was demand of Mai to turn the car around, to come back to Bakura with her arms open wide, to kiss him, to say how sorry and stupid she had been. And that, she was convinced, what she was going to do.

And yet, her mouth decided otherwise.

"Yeah, I'll be alright," She managed to say, her voice cracking as Mai smiled sympathetically over at her. Turning her head to stare out the window, she bit her lip before speaking again. "Everything's going to be just fine. I'm not going to run away anymore."


End file.
